The 3rd annual Black Wall Street Business Expo in metro Atlanta accomplished three important objectives: it paid homage to the oldest living survivor of the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921; it shined a spotlight on local businesses; and the event offered financial and mental health resources to business-owning hopefuls and the general public.
Viola Fletcher, who recently turned 110 years old, barely escaped the infamous Tulsa Race Massacre in Oklahoma more than a century ago. She was among the attendees and the many Black-owned businesses at the event at Essence Venue in Riverdale, Georgia, just south of Atlanta. During the daylong event, there were also multiple panels discussing business, financial education and the power of cooperative economics.
The Black Wall Street Business Expo was hosted by Jasmine Young, the founder and president of Financial Literacy Institute Inc., which facilitated the event. Her nonprofit organization is dedicated to providing educational courses, resources and programs to underprivileged communities in order to teach them financial literacy and provide equitable access to resources.
Young told rolling out that she has long been fascinated by the Tulsa Race Massacre, but moreso the Greenwood neighborhood, aka “Black Wall Street,” where independent Black businesses once thrived. She aspires to duplicate that here in Atlanta.
“Black Wall Street in Black Wall Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma has always been one of my inspirations,” Young told rolling out. “During the pandemic, I noticed that people were struggling to survive financially. And they were looking for financial education, and they needed access to information. As a certified public accountant, I decided to formulate the Financial Literacy Institute to meet the needs of our people.”
The expo provided a platform for the public to learn about area Black business proprietors, network with industry experts and gain invaluable insights on how to start, maintain and expand their own businesses.
These are the reasons why Reina Jones, vice president of community development at Delta Community Credit Union, decided to partner with Young and the Financial Literacy Institute.
“We truly believe that financial literacy and education are the core components for any business to be successful,” Jones told rolling out. “And not only that, just for individuals who are seeking to just increase their knowledge of finances … that’s very important for us. And so we believe in supporting organizations who do just that.”
